Career Discovery and Planning
Alumni: Resume Tips
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Resume Tips

One common mistake that many alumni make is to write resumes that are wordy, too long and excessively descriptive. These outdated resumes tend to list job responsibilities rather than highlight specific accomplishments or important skills. If you are changing careers, it is extremely important to emphasize your skills, because skills are often transferable from one type of work to another. It is essential to have a resume that clearly and concisely lays out your contributions and achievements within an organization. A "Career Profile" of one or two sentences epitomizing what you know, have done and can do; OR an "Objective" stating specifically what your goal is, will give your resume immediate focus.

A resume is a marketing document so its visual appearance is critical. It must be written in an up-to-date style, with a state-of-the-art word processor and high quality printer. Use a contemporary typeface such as Times Roman, Helvetica, Arial or Bookman, and nothing smaller than a 10-point font.

Sentences should be short and crisp, paragraphs no longer than four or five lines, with bullets to offset new sentences or sections. Your spelling, grammar and syntax must be perfect so have several proofreaders check your document. Write in the first person but eliminate "I". Use language appropriate to the type of position you are seeking.

The content of your resume is, of course, key to its success. DO NOT simply list job responsibilities - but describe their scope and your contributions. Cite SPECIFIC FIGURES, PERCENTAGES, AND RESULTS, e.g.. "Achieved a 75% increase in revenues in 2002." Market your qualifications by highlighting your achievements at the company or organization.

Don't list every job you have ever had or go too far back in time, especially if the work is not relevant to your present career path. You can summarize old jobs as follows: "Previous employment includes several increasingly responsible management positions at xxx and yyy"

The above information on resumes is summarized from Wendy S. Enelow, "Six Critical Rules of Resume Writing," National Business Employment Weekly.  This journal is presently found on-line at Careerjournal.com.  For more information on resume writing and sample resumes, look through the rest of this website.

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